Polk County Sheriff's Office Charges Two Men With Trafficking of Teen

The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged two Orlando men for allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old girl, who was being controlled as a prostitute.

By Kyle KennedyTHE LEDGER

WINTER HAVEN | The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged two Orlando men for allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old girl, who was being controlled as a prostitute.Montavius Rakeem Postell, 22, also known as "King," was identified as the girl's pimp by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. Michael Kempfer, 48, allegedly served as a driver. The two men share a residence at 716 Ibsen Ave. in Orlando.Judd said the 15-year-old victim and Kempfer were arrested in May during an undercover prostitution sting in Polk. The girl had been advertised on a website as a 20-year-old but looked especially young, Judd said.After she arrived, "We see a brand on this child. She's been tattooed, she's been marked," Judd said Wednesday. "She was a victim of human trafficking. At 15 she was a slave, and she was branded." Judd said detectives established a rapport with the girl, meeting with her several times after her arrest. He said the victim was defiant at first but gradually began to open up and provide information. Judd said detectives worked with the Orange County Sheriff's Office in identifying Postell as the victim's pimp.Postell used threats, physical and sexual violence, and drugs to control the girl, Judd said. Judd said Postell is a documented gang member. He said the victim first met Postell while working as a prostitute in Orlando on Orange Blossom Trail. Postell was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in a hotel room in Tampa — where he was found with another prostitute, officials said — and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail.He faces one count of human trafficking, two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim age 12 to 16, and promoting sexual activity of a victim under 16. All charges are felonies."This charge that we have against ‘King' Postell is a life felony," Judd said.Postell had been arrested 51 times in Florida on charges including drug possession, armed robbery and carjacking. Judd said the man has never served time in state prison or been designated as a felon.He said Postell was arrested in March in Orange County on a charge of selling cocaine, and while in custody he made several phone calls to the 15-year-old girl, discussing her ability to raise his bond money through prostituting herself.Detectives have obtained a warrant to file human trafficking charges against Kempfer, who is still in the Polk County Jail on a previous charge of driving with a suspended license.Kempfer also had been charged with deriving proceeds from prostitution. Polk and Orange County detectives searched the Ibsen Avenue residence Tuesday and found crack cocaine, two loaded handguns, gang paraphernalia, and several photos of the 15-year-old victim with Postell, Judd said.He said the girl is being kept in a safe house in Brevard County. Judd said not many human trafficking cases originate in Polk, noting the area has a smaller population and fewer attractions than Tampa and Orlando."Our population is not as conducive as larger populated areas but ... is there human trafficking here? Absolutely," he said. "We know that it's prevalent; wherever you have prostitution, you can find human trafficking."The Florida Attorney General's office assisted in the case with search and arrest warrants."If there are any other victims out there that have had contact with (Postell), please contact the Sheriff's Office," said Diane Checchio, assistant statewide prosecutor. "You are not in trouble, you have been victimized."

[ Kyle Kennedy can be reached at kyle.kennedy@theledger.com or 863-802-7584. ]